Goodnow Mt
This was our first hike of the vacation. Barb, Bookah and I took the long drive from Keene down thru the Tri Lakes towns, around Long Lake to the trailhead. This was a nice route up the mountain to the summit tower. The trail and woods are in really good shape. Limited views until you top out, and then great looks in all directions. The views are dominated by the lakes right below you, with the background of the entire High Peaks to your north.
This is a trip I’ve been putting off for years and happy we were able to grab it on a nice day.
Hopkins Mt
It was just Bookah and I on this one. Another hike I’d seen, driven by, or missed due to other things. We located the small, Ranney trailhead just outside the village of Keene Valley. I was attracted to this route due to its description as ‘lightly used’. The hike started by crossing a small, private bridge and then following a dirt road-driveway for a few tenths of a mile. Just before a field, there is a sign for Hopkins and Giant. The dirt road slowly turns into a jeep road, then a rough road, and then narrows into a soft trail as it climbs next to a stream. While lightly marked, it would be difficult to lose the trail unless it were covered by snow or leaves. At just under 2 miles, the Ranney trail joins the more commonly used trail, and the heavier impact becomes obvious. At the Giant-Hopkins jct, the route turns left for the last bit up the Hopkins Ridge. As you near the summit, views you receive some hints about the views awaiting you. The trail strolls out into the open all of a sudden, and the last tenth of a mile you’re on open rock as you climb to the summit. While not a completely open summit, the views are about 270 degrees stretching from the summit of Giant, all the way around the High Peaks to Sentinels to the north. Bookah and I had the chance to meet 2 couples on the summit. One couple was on their honeymoon from Wisconsin and had heard about the ADKs and this was their first hike.
The other, also newcomers to the Adirondacks.Had the chance to answer some questions about other nice hikes.
Hopkins was a gorgeous hike on this nice Summer day. Can’t even imagine how beautiful it would be in the Autumn.
Pokomoonshine Mt
This was a return trip for Barbara, but the first for Boo and I. We waited for a spectacular day and got it. We left the campground and then took the short and steep trade route to the summit. There are a few really nice view spots as you start climbing higher, but the best is yet to come. Shortly before the last climb to the top, there is a stone chimney, the remnants of the observer’s cabin. From here it was back in the woods up to Poko’s summit. There is a rocky outlook, but the best views are to be had from the tower and you could see EVERYTHING from it. Bookah made some false starts to climb the tower, but we leashed her in the shade as neither of us wanted to have to carry her back down.
We had a great conversation with the seasonal Ranger on the summit, and there is a remnant of the fire locator in the tower that assists you picking out unfamiliar summits.
On the way down we were looking for the stone chimney. The Ranger told us that just behind the chimney is the remains of the jeep road the observers used to take to the cabin. He and the other Ranger have been keeping it clear of blowdown, and diverting water off it. In the addition of the Tower guidebook we have it shows it as private land which is why our plans did not include it. The Ranger said that the Nature Conservancy bought the land. What a beautiful route it was. Grassy up high, less so as you descend, and then back into a jeep road/ trail mid way down. Also the way are 2 beaver ponds, the upper one of which backs up on a rock wall. Bookah got to play retriever in the cool water. The bottom 1/3 of the trail turns into a gorgeous pine forest with 2” of pine needles covering the wide jeep road. It exits on route 9 about 1 mile south of the park. Barbara and Bookah got to sit in the shade while I hoofed it uphill back to the car.
Belfrey Mt
Our plans on this day were to climb to Belfrey’s tower, check out the views, and then head to Gilligan Mt afterward. The Keene area was right on the edge of the rainy weather, and it got darker and darker as we drove south to the trailhead. Belfrey really isn’t much of a hike, with a round trip of under 1 mile and under 200’ of climbing. The only view is from the tower, and the sprinkles turned to rain on our way up, and raining in earnest as we were in the tower.
We met a nice family on the summit, and the ‘hike’ back to the cars got us pretty wet so we headed back to the cottage, planning to save Gilligan for another day.
Nun-da-ga-o Ridsge, Soda Range, Weston Mt
We saved the best for our last day. We met Dick(rhihn), Joanne(Eidelweiss), Brian(bushwhacker) and Spencer(peak_bgr) to do the loop. The idea was to pass Lost Pond, come up over Weston Mt, and then out of the Crows. It was a spectacular day with more views pots than you can imagine. The trail is marked for half the way, and then an unmarked but heavily cairned trail for the balance. We hit the base of Big Crow later than planned, so with a nice day of views and companionship, we made plans to hit Big and Little Crow another day, hiked down to Crow Clearing and then off to the Gathering at Spencer’s home.
We had a great week in the Adirondacks, capped off by the exceptional Gathering. Got to hike a bunch of places I'd never been and already looking forward to next year.
This was our first hike of the vacation. Barb, Bookah and I took the long drive from Keene down thru the Tri Lakes towns, around Long Lake to the trailhead. This was a nice route up the mountain to the summit tower. The trail and woods are in really good shape. Limited views until you top out, and then great looks in all directions. The views are dominated by the lakes right below you, with the background of the entire High Peaks to your north.
This is a trip I’ve been putting off for years and happy we were able to grab it on a nice day.
Hopkins Mt
It was just Bookah and I on this one. Another hike I’d seen, driven by, or missed due to other things. We located the small, Ranney trailhead just outside the village of Keene Valley. I was attracted to this route due to its description as ‘lightly used’. The hike started by crossing a small, private bridge and then following a dirt road-driveway for a few tenths of a mile. Just before a field, there is a sign for Hopkins and Giant. The dirt road slowly turns into a jeep road, then a rough road, and then narrows into a soft trail as it climbs next to a stream. While lightly marked, it would be difficult to lose the trail unless it were covered by snow or leaves. At just under 2 miles, the Ranney trail joins the more commonly used trail, and the heavier impact becomes obvious. At the Giant-Hopkins jct, the route turns left for the last bit up the Hopkins Ridge. As you near the summit, views you receive some hints about the views awaiting you. The trail strolls out into the open all of a sudden, and the last tenth of a mile you’re on open rock as you climb to the summit. While not a completely open summit, the views are about 270 degrees stretching from the summit of Giant, all the way around the High Peaks to Sentinels to the north. Bookah and I had the chance to meet 2 couples on the summit. One couple was on their honeymoon from Wisconsin and had heard about the ADKs and this was their first hike.
The other, also newcomers to the Adirondacks.Had the chance to answer some questions about other nice hikes.
Hopkins was a gorgeous hike on this nice Summer day. Can’t even imagine how beautiful it would be in the Autumn.
Pokomoonshine Mt
This was a return trip for Barbara, but the first for Boo and I. We waited for a spectacular day and got it. We left the campground and then took the short and steep trade route to the summit. There are a few really nice view spots as you start climbing higher, but the best is yet to come. Shortly before the last climb to the top, there is a stone chimney, the remnants of the observer’s cabin. From here it was back in the woods up to Poko’s summit. There is a rocky outlook, but the best views are to be had from the tower and you could see EVERYTHING from it. Bookah made some false starts to climb the tower, but we leashed her in the shade as neither of us wanted to have to carry her back down.
We had a great conversation with the seasonal Ranger on the summit, and there is a remnant of the fire locator in the tower that assists you picking out unfamiliar summits.
On the way down we were looking for the stone chimney. The Ranger told us that just behind the chimney is the remains of the jeep road the observers used to take to the cabin. He and the other Ranger have been keeping it clear of blowdown, and diverting water off it. In the addition of the Tower guidebook we have it shows it as private land which is why our plans did not include it. The Ranger said that the Nature Conservancy bought the land. What a beautiful route it was. Grassy up high, less so as you descend, and then back into a jeep road/ trail mid way down. Also the way are 2 beaver ponds, the upper one of which backs up on a rock wall. Bookah got to play retriever in the cool water. The bottom 1/3 of the trail turns into a gorgeous pine forest with 2” of pine needles covering the wide jeep road. It exits on route 9 about 1 mile south of the park. Barbara and Bookah got to sit in the shade while I hoofed it uphill back to the car.
Belfrey Mt
Our plans on this day were to climb to Belfrey’s tower, check out the views, and then head to Gilligan Mt afterward. The Keene area was right on the edge of the rainy weather, and it got darker and darker as we drove south to the trailhead. Belfrey really isn’t much of a hike, with a round trip of under 1 mile and under 200’ of climbing. The only view is from the tower, and the sprinkles turned to rain on our way up, and raining in earnest as we were in the tower.
We met a nice family on the summit, and the ‘hike’ back to the cars got us pretty wet so we headed back to the cottage, planning to save Gilligan for another day.
Nun-da-ga-o Ridsge, Soda Range, Weston Mt
We saved the best for our last day. We met Dick(rhihn), Joanne(Eidelweiss), Brian(bushwhacker) and Spencer(peak_bgr) to do the loop. The idea was to pass Lost Pond, come up over Weston Mt, and then out of the Crows. It was a spectacular day with more views pots than you can imagine. The trail is marked for half the way, and then an unmarked but heavily cairned trail for the balance. We hit the base of Big Crow later than planned, so with a nice day of views and companionship, we made plans to hit Big and Little Crow another day, hiked down to Crow Clearing and then off to the Gathering at Spencer’s home.
We had a great week in the Adirondacks, capped off by the exceptional Gathering. Got to hike a bunch of places I'd never been and already looking forward to next year.
